One act of kindness....

[Grazer]

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[Rollo Tamasi]

That's a very questionable statement without examples.

 

[Grazer]

That's a very questionable statement without examples.

Not really. One act of kindness can make incalculable difference. Florence nightingale comes to mind, so does mother Theresa as well as the local volunteer down at the soup kitchen.

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[Rollo Tamasi]

Placing good works above prayer and coming from a non-Christian is not what I would call a good example.
A better example would be from Charles Spurgeon: " Oh, yes, the prayer meeting is the place to meet with the Holy Ghost, and this is the way to get His mighty power. If we would have Him, we must meet in greater numbers; we must pray with greater fervency, we must watch with greater earnestness, and believe with firmer steadfastness. The prayer meeting...is the appointed place for the reception of power".

 

[Grazer]

Placing good works above prayer and coming from a non-Christian is not what I would call a good example.
A better example would be from Charles Spurgeon: " Oh, yes, the prayer meeting is the place to meet with the Holy Ghost, and this is the way to get His mighty power. If we would have Him, we must meet in greater numbers; we must pray with greater fervency, we must watch with greater earnestness, and believe with firmer steadfastness. The prayer meeting...is the appointed place for the reception of power".

I get what you're saying but I think doing something once can have a massive impact on the person you help

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[for_his_glory]

Action of the hands and thoughts of the mind even when the intentions are for good are just that, intentions of goodness, but if not done through the love of God then it is done by self making it their own righteousness.

 

[Grazer]

Action of the hands and thoughts of the mind even when the intentions are for good are just that, intentions of goodness, but if not done through the love of God then it is done by self making it their own righteousness.

What difference does it make to the one you've helped whether you've done it for God or done it because you wanted to help? What difference does it make period?

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[reba]

as you said in the other thread ... Its the heart!


When a believer does 'what ever' it is unto the Lord.
Rom_14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

 

[Gordon]

Prayer saved my life so I disagree. God is a lot more powerful and helpful than us being nice. Not to say God can't use us to help each other as well.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Doing good things to others is a wonderful thing to do.
God is pleased when we do that.
But all the good things that I do for others is a result of his saving grace.
And that came about because of prayer.

 

[for_his_glory]

What difference does it make to the one you've helped whether you've done it for God or done it because you wanted to help? What difference does it make period?

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Have you ever heard the saying give a man a fish and he eats for one day, but teach a man to fish and he eats forever.
Here is my explanation: give a man the love of God and he not only eats for one day, but will trust in God to supply his needs everyday.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

 

[Grazer]

Have you ever heard the saying give a man a fish and he eats for one day, but teach a man to fish and he eats forever.
Here is my explanation: give a man the love of God and he not only eats for one day, but will trust in God to supply his needs everyday.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Interesting view, I see where you're coming from. I guess I see it from a cynical perspective of watching many Christians praying for things but not much rolling their sleeves up and actually doing something

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[Claudya]

Tend to agree with Gandhi here.

That's a very questionable statement without examples.

Here's your example, allenwynne: The most famous example of kindness Jesus gave was the story of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-35. He didn't bow his head in prayer for the wounded guy he found, or whether he did we aren't told, so Jesus didn't consider it very relevant. What is relevant is that the Samaritan picked the unlucky guy up, tended to him and made sure he'd be taken care of until he'd get better. So maybe Jesus would agree with Gandhi, too.

I guess I see it from a cynical perspective of watching many Christians praying for things but not much rolling their sleeves up and actually doing something

Naw, that's not particularily cynical. It's just the truth. There's a lot of christians that use prayer as an excuse for sitting on their hands even if a small act could make a big change.
I doubt we give a good show of Christ's love to unbelievers that way.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Tend to agree with Gandhi here.


Here's your example, allenwynne: The most famous example of kindness Jesus gave was the story of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-35. He didn't bow his head in prayer for the wounded guy he found, or whether he did we aren't told, so Jesus didn't consider it very relevant. What is relevant is that the Samaritan picked the unlucky guy up, tended to him and made sure he'd be taken care of until he'd get better. So maybe Jesus would agree with Gandhi, too.


Naw, that's not particularily cynical. It's just the truth. There's a lot of christians that use prayer as an excuse for sitting on their hands even if a small act could make a big change.
I doubt we give a good show of Christ's love to unbelievers that way.

I hate to get into this, but Claudya, Grazer, you both sound like you have a weak prayer life.
If you saw the power of prayer in your life, you wouldn't be saying these things.
I see miracles as a result of prayer. Real miracles.
Peoples lives are changed in a powerful way due to prayer. I am a living example.
Of all the good deeds I have seen in my life, nothing changed peoples lives as much as prayer has.
Jesus was up in the middle of the night praying. All he did everyday started out with prayer.
Nothing will get us to walking with the Holy Spirit more than prayer.

Yes, faith without deeds in dead.
Stop looking at people and start looking at Jesus.

 

[Grazer]

I hate to get into this, but Claudya, Grazer, you both sound like you have a weak prayer life.
If you saw the power of prayer in your life, you wouldn't be saying these things.
I see miracles as a result of prayer. Real miracles.
Peoples lives are changed in a powerful way due to prayer. I am a living example.
Of all the good deeds I have seen in my life, nothing changed peoples lives as much as prayer has.
Jesus was up in the middle of the night praying. All he did everyday started out with prayer.
Nothing will get us to walking with the Holy Spirit more than prayer.

Yes, faith without deeds in dead.
Stop looking at people and start looking at Jesus.

You hate to get into this but you're going to anyway. Not only that, you're going to critique the lives of 2 people you've never met. Is it any wonder people have had enough of Christians?

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[Rollo Tamasi]

You hate to get into this but you're going to anyway. Not only that, you're going to critique the lives of 2 people you've never met. Is it any wonder people have had enough of Christians?

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Constructive criticism is always hard to take.
But responding to my statements with love would have been the right thing to do.
I feel I have to defend Christianity against the statements you are making.
Get your eyes off Jesus and put it on the worldly Gandhi.
There is just too much good Christian literature available to put the works of a non-believer at the forefront.
Find me a famous Christian writer who supports good works over prayer and I may change my stand on this.

 

[Grazer]

Constructive criticism is always hard to take.
But responding to my statements with love would have been the right thing to do.
I feel I have to defend Christianity against the statements you are making.
Get your eyes off Jesus and put it on the worldly Gandhi.
There is just too much good Christian literature available to put the works of a non-believer at the forefront.
Find me a famous Christian writer who supports good works over prayer and I may change my stand on this.

There was nothing constructive about your judgement of claudya and I. I've taken a battering over recent weeks on here and my patience has run out, perhaps that's a sign that I need to take a break. I never said get your eyes off Jesus and onto Ghandi, that's your twisting of what I've put.

As for others who think the same, doesn't matter if others have thought of it before or not. Some of the greatest advances in the world are as a result of those going against the established view. Sometimes you need to come at things from different angles to get out of a narrow view and to fully explore everything.

I just see a lot of talk by many Christians but not much action. That's how I view what Ghandi said.

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[Rollo Tamasi]

I'm sorry for coming across the way I did.
If I did something fruitless, then it wasn't worth doing.
Actually, I've liked a lot that you have written.
And Claudya too, I think she's just great!
But I really am a hard line Christian and I admit I too have a long way to go.
Maybe we can put this behind us and join together the way Jesus would want us to.

 

[evenifigoalone]

I can see both sides.
On one hand, prayer is powerful.
On the other, if all someone does is pray and never tries to do anything else to help people...what good is that?

 

[Claudya]

I hate to get into this, but Claudya, Grazer, you both sound like you have a weak prayer life.

Hm, you're judging that from that one post I made on the topic?
Since you have so little information about us I am inclined to think that your statement about our prayer lives says more about you than it says about us.

But I will take it to heart and will continue to try and improve my prayer life.

If you saw the power of prayer in your life, you wouldn't be saying these things.
I see miracles as a result of prayer. Real miracles.
Peoples lives are changed in a powerful way due to prayer. I am a living example.
Of all the good deeds I have seen in my life, nothing changed peoples lives as much as prayer has.

There are problems that no act of kindness can solve. In those cases we need to rely on God and bow our heads in prayer.

But there are many situations that could be solved rather fast if only one person or a number of persons would get off their rears and act.
Just to give a bold and simple example: if you see someone drowning in a lake, would you stand there and pray, or would you jump in, or throw a life belt, or do something else to save that person? You can still pray while you are trying to help (I know I would be praying when jumping into some lake to save drowing person).
But if you pray instead of trying to help, you will get into trouble in more than one way... not to mention that the other person might die because of that choice you made.
An act of kindness can save lives - or even souls, because the help you give another person can renew their faith, or even make them believe in God alltogether!

I believe you that you have seen the power of prayer.
But haven't you also seen how God is working through the hands and speaking through the mouths of His people? I'd be surprised if you haven't because I keep seeing that kind of devine intervention all the time.
If you decide to pray rather than act you might in some cases obstruct God's work because He would have loved to let you be the person to deliver His kindness.
I'm not saying prayer is bad or so, au contraire.

If you are speaking to non believers, what do you think would impress them more: Your promise to pray for them, or an unconditional selfless action that resolves their most immediate needs?

Jesus was up in the middle of the night praying. All he did everyday started out with prayer.
Nothing will get us to walking with the Holy Spirit more than prayer.

Jesus also did a lot of practical helping. He healed people, fed them, gave them attention and love and answered their questions. He probably prayed with them and for them too. But He did that in solitude, early in the morning, or around His closest disciples. The focus in His active teaching life was on practically helping and showing kindness and love.

Yes, faith without deeds in dead.
Stop looking at people and start looking at Jesus.

I did in my previous posting, I gave an example of Jesus valuing action over prayer in one of the parables He told.